Systems and methods for managing contact information

• US 20020052921A1
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Cambridge Incubator, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Cambridge Incubator, Inc.
• Inventors: Morkel, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 7,007,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

A method and system for secure management of contact information is disclosed. A service provider maintains a database with subscribers'"'"' updated contact information, such as address book entries and other personal and business information. When a user'"'"'s information changes, subscribers on a recipient list are automatically updated without any user intervention. The subscribers'"'"' anonymity is assured by correlating contact information in the provider'"'"'s database with encrypted subscriber ID'"'"'s, such as hashed e-mail addresses.

Claims

1. Method for secure management of contact information via a network, comprising:

attaching contact information to an e-mail having a recipient'"'"'s e-mail address,

associating a transaction ID with the contact information,

associating a first hash of the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address with the transaction ID,

transmitting the e-mail with the transaction ID to the recipient via the network,

producing a second hash of the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address, and

if the second hash of the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address and transmitted

transaction ID match the first hash of the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address and the

transaction ID, forwarding the contact information to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the contact information includes checking if the recipient already has a most recent copy of the contact information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a presence of the contact information is identified in the e-mail by a message appended to the e-mail.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a presence of the contact information is identified in the e-mail by a field checked in an e-mail window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information is directed to a specified recipient.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information is directed to a plurality of recipients listed on a recipient list.

7. The method of claim 1, further including retaining a history of the forwarded contact information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the history of the contact information is associated with the transaction ID.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient scans a received e-mail for an indication of the presence of updated contact information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a new contact information entry is created at the recipient if the recipient does not currently have the contact information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient—

in response to receiving the forwarded contact information—

transmits updated recipient contact information.

12. The method of claim 1, further including associating security settings with the contact information, with the security settings determining the forwarded contact information displayed at the recipient.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein when a recipient on the recipient list receives updated contact information, said updated contact information is automatically sent to the remaining recipients on the recipient list.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient has additional e-mail addresses that are linked to the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address, and the updated contact information is forwarded to the linked e-mail addresses using the same transaction ID.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

when the intended recipient requests the contact information, computing

a second hash of the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address associated with the request,

matching the second hashed recipient'"'"'s e-mail address with the first hashed e-mail address for the transaction ID, and

if the first and second hashed e-mail addresses agree, transmitting the contact information to the recipient.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the identifier and the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address define the contact information retrieved from the server.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the server stores an association between the contact information and a recipient'"'"'s e-mail address based on an encrypted value of the recipient'"'"'s e-mail address.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the identifier is a transaction ID of the contact information.

15. Method for secure management of contact information over a network, comprising:

associating a transaction ID with the contact information,

computing a hash of an e-mail address of an intended recipient of the contact information, and

associating the hashed e-mail address with the transaction ID.

17. A system for disseminating contact information via a network, comprising:

a server connected to the network and storing the contact information,

a sender'"'"'s computer connected to the network and transmitting via the network to a recipient'"'"'s e-mail address an e-mail that includes an identifier associated with the sender'"'"'s contact information, and

a recipient'"'"'s computer connected to the network and receiving the e-mail with the identifier, the recipient'"'"'s computer accessing the server via the network and retrieving from the server the contact information by providing the server with the identifier.